Package with opener



Feb. 23, 1943. qc, wHlTE PACKAGE WITH OPENER Eiled Jan. 23, 1959 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 23, 1943 PACKAGE WITH OPENER Philip OC. White, Chicago, Ill, assignmto White Cap Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 23, 1939, Serial No. 252,302

1 Claim.

This invention relates to packages wherein the receptacle consists of a bottle or the like, and the closure consists of a stopper or cap which is retained on the mouth of the receptacle by friction and is removable by application of pressure effective to slide it upwardly from the portion of the receptacle on which it is irictionally retained. A general object of the present invention is the provision of a package which may be of conventional type, in so far as the receptacle and closure are concerned, but which is provided with means which is manually operable, with ease and convenience, to detach or facilitate removal of. the closure when desired, both for the initial opening of the package and for subsequent removals of the closure, to permit dispensing of portions of the contents of the receptacle from time to time.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a package in which the closure detaching or removing means does not in any fashion interfere with the application and sealing of the closure on the receptacle in the first instance, or re-application of it after removal, and wherein said means is so constructed and disposed as not to interfere with any of the uses of the package or the receptacle, or the handling thereof in wrapping or packing it or in dispensing material from it.

Yet another object is the provision of such a package wherein the closure detaching means remains operably aflixed to the receptacle after the closure is removed therefrom, so that it may continue to function for its intended purpose after re-application of the closure.

Yet another object is the provision of a closure detaching means for use on a receptacle or the like, which may be manufactured very economically and applied to the receptacle with facility, which is small, conveniently disposed on the package, and neat and sightly in appearance.

Still another object is the provision of such a package, and such a closure detaching device which may be disposed in various positions on receptacles of various characters, so as to adapt it to operation with convenience.

Other and further objects of the invention will be indicated or pointed out hereinafter or will be apparent upon an understanding of the invention or its employment in use.

For the purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and

hereinafter describe, various forms in which it may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration and are not to be construed in any fashion for the purpose of limiting the appended claim short of the true and most comprehensive scopeof the invention in the art.

In said drawinx,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mouth and neck portion of a bottle equipped with a form of closure detaching device in accordance with my invention; I

Fig. 2 is a side view of a closed package formed in accordance with my invention, the bottle or receptacle neck being shown in elevation, the closure cap being shown in section, and the closure detaching device being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the form of closure detaching device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in all respects corresponding to Fig. 2, but. showing the closure detaching device in inverted position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating another form of closure detaching device which is in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating yet another form of closure detaching device which is in accordance with the invention.

The nature of the invention will be most quickly ascertained from the following description of the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are illustrated a form of bottle finish and a type of closure cap which are both of design already known, the neck portion ill of the bottle being formed with a ledge portion I I at some distance below the mouth rim l2, and with a peripheral, approximately cylindrical, sealing surface ll adjacent the mouth. Between said sealing surface ll andiledge H, the periphery of the receptacle is recessed or undercut so as to afford a circumferentially extending channel or recess l5.

The closure cap comprises a metallic shell having a top portion I 6 and 9. depending skirt portion, the upper portion ll of which is approximately cylindrical, and the lower portion l8 0! which is of downwardly flaring form. A sealing gasket l9 of compressible elastic material is retainedin the lower portion of the skirt, said gasket being of sleeve form and conforming approximately to the flare of the skirt. .0 that its orifice is of an upwardly converging or contract- 8 Shap The internal diameter of the cylindrical portion I! of the skirt is slightly greater than the passing over'the sealing surface ll.

external diameter of the sealing surface ll of the receptacle, so that there is a clearance between them when the cap and receptacle are in concentric relationship. The gasket i8, however, is of materially greater thickness than this clearance space, so that, in order to apply the closure to the receptacle, it has to be pressed downwardly onto the mouth thereof with force suflicient to compress the elastic gasket to a high degree between the sealing surface II and the skirt portion l I. Incident to this intrusion of the mouth of the vessel into the closure, the elastic gasket may be elongated upwardly somewhat. When the closure is thus applied to the receptacle, the parts bear the relationship substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2, the elastic gasket forming an hermetic seal between the shell and the receptacle, and the closure being very securely retained in position on the receptacle by virtue of the high compression of the elastic gasket against the sealing surface H by the constraining shell. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to this particular design of closure cap and receptacle, and that it may be embodied in any type of package wherein a closure is sealed or applied to the receptacle by being pressed downwardly thereon and is held in place thereon by friction, so that it may be removed by pressure.

above described, the parts will bear the relationship shown in Fig. 2, the closure cap being in its completely seated and sealed position on the receptacle, with its lower margin spaced above the ledge II and above or contacting portions of the closure forcing device.

To operate the closure forcing device for the purpose of freeing or unseating the closure cap, when the parts are in the relationship shown in Fig. 2, pressure is exerted upwardly against the arm of the closure forcing device, as in the direction illustrated by the arrow P in Fig. 2. This may be done conveniently by grasping the receptacle withthe hand and pressing upwardly with retention, so as to permit its being readily lifted in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, is made of wire which is quite stiffv and of suitable resilience. The device is formed with a loop portion 28, for the most part of approximately circular form, and an arm portion which is comprised of parts 2| that are deflected angularly from the plane of the loop so as to extend side by side for a suitable distance from the loop, and have their ends curled around to foiin colaterally disposed eyes 22, which eyes are rigidly fastened to each other in a suitable manner as by means of the rivet 24. The internal diameter of the loop 20 is somewhat less than the external diameter of the sealing surface I of the receptacle, but by virtue of the resilient character of the wire and the construction of the device,

the loop may be expanded sufflciently to permit the mouth portion of the receptacle, including the sealing surface M, to pass completely through it so that the loop may come to rest on the ledge II, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When in that position, portions of the loop are overlapped by portions of the receptacle thereabove, so that the closure forcing device will not fall off of the receptacle. Thus the loop is partially seated in the recess l5, and in order to remove the closure forcing device from the receptacle, it is necessary to expand the resilient loop in order to permit its However, portions of the loop 20, including the parts which conjoin the arm portions 2|, extend outwardly beyond the circumference of the sealing surface I4, and the arm portions extend downwardly across the outer rim of the ledge ll, so that the end of the arm is opposite the receptacle neck, as illustarted in Figs. 1 and 2.

The closure forcing device is thus applied to the receptacle before the closure cap is applied thereto. and, after the cap has been applied as the end of the thumb against the enlarged end portion of the closure forcing device. The application of sufficient pressure in this fashion operates to push the arm portion upwardly, tilting the loop portion, and pressing and lifting the side of the closure cap which is above the arm portion. In such lifting or canting of the closure cap, portions of its gasket are slid upwardly along the sealing surface ll until the gasket is relieved of the high compression between the sealing surface and the skirt portion ll. Thus the closure cap is freed, and may be very easily lifted off of the mouth of the receptacle. The resilient character of the loop permits it to be expanded, if necessary, sumciently to allow it this tilting movement, but inasmuch as the compression of the gasket is relieved as soon as the lower limit of the cylindrical shell portion ll reaches the upper limit of the sealing surface ll, it is not necessary to press the loop upwardly across the sealing surface. Hence, the closure forcing device remains retained on I the receptacle, and when released from the lifting pressure, it drops back onto the ledge ll. Its restoration to this position may be aided'by the camming action of the pressure of the resilient loop against the sloping surface of the receptacle below the sealing surface I.

After the closure has been thus removed, it may be put back on the receptacle so as to form a tight seal and closure thereon, imply by forcing'it downwardly again sufllciently to intrude the sealing surface within the gasket.

In some instances, due to the form of the receptacle, it may not be convenient to place the closure forcing member in-the position illustrated in Fig. 2 in the first instance, or it may be deupon the ledge II, and the arm extends upwardly past the receptacle mouth, but suiilciently far to one side thereof to permit the application of the closure cap as above described. For operation of the closure forcing device when it is in this position, inward pressure is exerted against its enlarged end, as in the direction illustrated by the arrow P in Fig. 4. This has the effect of tilting the loop 20 so as to raise the portion adjacent the arm and exert prying leverage upon the adjacent lower margin portion of the closure can. thus canting it and unseating it from the sealed or frictionally held position.

The closure forcing member may be of various forms and types of construction. In Fig. 5 is formed from resilient sheet material instead of wire. Here the loop is designated 25 and its exponsibility is ettellned by having it discontinu- (MS, The arm portions are formed as a. tang or lever lmtegrel with the loop portion and bent onirom the plane thereof, said tang being K so as to have the necessary stiffness, as siding its end oortion it) into supporting or creme coo'oeretlon with other portions In both of these modified terms shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the device has the proper resiliency and the loop is of such size that will seat in o, recess or channel in time receotecle and must be sprung over the mouth portieo oz? receptacle in order to be attached to it its tli "mien, so that the closure forcing device will receptacle when the closure ome ofi of time &

It is to be noted also that the closure forcing device is not limited to use on a package closed by a closure cap, as stoppers of other types, having peripherally depending flanges or skirt por tions, are effectively operable by it.

I claim:

In a package, the combination of a. packing receptacle having a, peripheral projection'below its mouth and a portion thereabove for frictionelly retaining a closure on its mouth, and a closure forcing device having a resiliently distensible loop portion embracing the receptacle with a. part engaged under sold projection to retain the forcing device on the receptacle independently of the closure, said forcing device having arm portions extending collaterally of each other at an angle from the plane of the loop and connect ed. to each other at their ends remote from the loop and being manually operable to move the loop to tilted positions on the receptacle and unseat the closure while the forcing device itself is retained on the receptacle by engagement of its imp under said projection. 

